Ask – Mastering

February 21, 2012

Can you really
perform mastering
in a DAW? I know
PreSonus Studio
One Pro has a
mastering page,
but programs like
Samplitude, Cubase,
Sonar, Pro Tools,
etc. supposedly
include mastering quality
plug-ins. Will
these do the job?

Rob Perry

W. Palm Beach, FL

VIA EMAIL

It depends on
whether you want
to do “mastering”
or “MASTERING.”
You can think of
“mastering” as “the
mastered version
sounds better than
the original mix”
and “MASTERING”
as “the sonic quality
meets or exceeds
anything out there,
and with an album,
all the songs flow
together as a seamless
listening experience.”

Most DAWs
can do mastering.
MASTERING often
requires specialized
tools such as
noise reduction,
diagnostic plug-ins,
restoration options,
plug-ins that trade
off CPU efficiency
for sound quality,
and optimally, the
ability to integrate
analog mastering
processors. You also
need to be able to
assemble all your
cuts and create a
master file suitable
for duplication or
uploading to the web
(often in a data compressed
format).
Of the current crop
of DAWs, Magix
Samplitude and
PreSonus Studio
One Pro have the
strongest emphasis
on mastering—but
pretty much all DAWs
include various
mastering-oriented
tools and options.

Remember that
90% of self-mastering
is your ears, room, and monitors. If those
elements aren’t in
place, you won’t get
good results with
DAWs or dedicated
mastering programs.
But while mastering
is a specialized skill
where experience
counts for a lot,
it’s something you
can learn to use to
improve the sonic
quality of your music.
Like everything else,
the more you practice
your craft, the more
you’ll improve—and
the better your
masters will sound.